Guest Post and Giveaway: The Subs Club Blog Tour with J.A. Rock

Hi! I’m J.A. Rock, and right now I’m touring the internet talking about my latest release The Subs Club—Book 1 in The Subs Club series. Thanks so much to the blogs that are hosting me on this tour, and be sure to leave comments on the tour posts for a chance to win your choice of two backlist ebooks and a $10 Amazon gift card!

The Subs Club Supporting Characters

At other stops on the tour, you’ll meet the four main Subs Club members: charming, snarky Dave; uptight perfectionist Miles; big-hearted dudebro Kamen; and super shy Gould. At the start of the series, they’re still reeling from the death of their fifth friend, Hal, but are steeling themselves to go back to playing at Riddle, the dungeon where he died. Here’s a look at some of the supporting characters who populate Riddle, and the Subs Club universe in general:

Bill Henson: The dom who was playing with Hal at Riddle the night Hal died. Bill was charged with second-degree murder when Hal strangled to death after Bill left him tied up, alone, in one of the playrooms. Bill was later found innocent in court—though the kink community has been less forgiving. Prior to the Hal incident, Bill had a reputation for being an arrogant, sometimes careless dom who exaggerated his experience level. This makes him an easy target for angry, grieving kinksters looking for someone to blame. But Bill might not be quite the monster everyone thinks he is…

Cinnamon the Ponygirl: The Subs Club’s mortal enemy, Cinnamon is famous in the pony play world, but far less popular at Riddle. Rude, self-centered, and fond of stirring up trouble, she was also the only witness to Hal’s death—and she spoke in Bill Henson’s defense at the trial, incurring the Subs Club’s further wrath. Dave, who has an irrational fear of furries, is particularly uneasy around her, because he considers pet players a little too close to furries for comfort.

Kel and GK: The owners of Riddle, one of two kink clubs in the city, GK and Kel are a married couple who had a dream: to run a dungeon together. But three years after that dream became a reality, things went to shit when Hal died at Riddle, causing kinksters to question whether GK and Kel are capable of maintaining a safe play environment. Kel and GK struggle to keep their club afloat in the wake of tragedy, making questionable decisions along the way. They also seem to have a real thing for Gould.

Ricky Chuy: The smoothest, twinkiest, innocent-est newbie imaginable. The Subs Club sometimes lets him tag along with them to Riddle to learn about the scene. Dave describes it as “like taking the goddamn Little Mermaid to a bondage club.”

Rachel, the Human Menorah-Maker: Okay, Rachel’s a bit elusive. But other clubgoers look fondly upon her annual Hanukah rope work, where she creates rope candleholders on people’s arms and turns them into human menorahs.

Regina: “Biggest hair I’ve seen outside a Winger video,” according to Dave. A Riddle staff member, Regina loves to play matchmaker at the club, introducing players with similar kinks. Regina can usually be found tending the dry bar, working the front desk, or else DM-ing.

Mrs. Pell: Kamen’s mom. She’s been in the scene for years, but she usually plays at Cobalt, the “White Castle of BDSM clubs.” So as long as Kamen sticks to Riddle, he can usually avoid, y’know…running into his mom at a dungeon. Much to Kamen’s mortification, Mrs. Pell is very frank about and comfortable with her lifestyle, and loves to show off the string of hairy-chested play partners she doms.

Bowser: A big, burly, Viking-esque man with a ginger beard, an extreme medical play fetish, and a laugh that sounds just like Bowser’s in Super Mario 64. Apparently he and the very masochistic Miles have a bit of a past together.

Fucktopus: A mysterious “tentacle furry” who shows up on the Subs Club message board to talk about his eight robotic tentacles of fun. Dave’s absolute worst nightmare.

About The Subs Club (The Subs Club #1):A year ago, my best friend Hal died at the hands of an incompetent “dom.” So I started the Subs Club, a private blog where submissives can review doms and call out the douche bags.

A perfect example of the kind of arrogant asshole I mean? The Disciplinarian. He has a pornstache. He loves meat, stoicism, America, and real discipline. And he thinks subs exist to serve him.

But . . . not everything about him is awful. His Davy Crockett act just seems like a cover for his fear of intimacy, and part of me wants to show him it’s okay to get close to people. And, I mean, sue me, but I have fantasized about real discipline. Not role-play, but like, Dave, you’re gonna be thirty in four years and you still work in a mall; get your ass in gear or I’ll spank it.

About The Subs Club Universe: After the death of their friend Hal at the hands of an irresponsible dom, submissive friends Dave, Kamen, Miles, and Gould band together to form the Subs Club—an organization seeking to expose dangerous local doms. The club slowly evolves as romances blossom, loyalties are tested, and tensions mount in a community already struggling for unity in the wake of Hal’s death.

From domestic discipline to knife play to fashion paraphilia, and from family drama to new jobs to first loves, the members of the Subs Club explore life’s kinks inside and outside of the bedroom as they attempt to let go of the past and move forward.

About the Author:J.A. Rock is the author of queer romance and suspense novels, including BY HIS RULES, TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME, and, with Lisa Henry, THE GOOD BOY and WHEN ALL THE WORLD SLEEPS. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Alabama and a BA in theater from Case Western Reserve University. J.A. also writes queer fiction and essays under the name Jill Smith. Raised in Ohio and West Virginia, she now lives in Chicago with her dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.

Giveaway

Don’t forget! To celebrate the release of The Subs Club, J.A. Rock is giving away two titles from her backlist and a $10 Amazon gift card! Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 12, 2015. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Follow the tour for more opportunities to enter the giveaway! And don’t forget to leave your email or method of contact so Riptide can reach you if you win!

It would be horrible to know my mum is in the scene, let alone risk bumping into her when she is dressed for one. Eww. This book is sounding more amusing every time I found out more about it.
hojurose(at)gmail(dot)com

Congrats on your book release and tour. Normally the subject matter D/s wouldn’t quite be my cup of tea but the synopsis won me over as not following some standard rote so ‘guess what’s on my wish list for the monthly book-buying spree?’ and the first two guesses don’t count ^_~.